Siberian Liberation Army [ 534 ]

Meet the Siberian Liberation Army

BY JOSHUA KUCERA | DECEMBER 28, 2009

IRKUTSK, Russia -- When you're the leader of a fringe political group, a cafe called "I'm Waiting for a UFO" may not be the best place to take a visiting journalist. But it's possible that alien abduction is more likely than what Mikheil Kulekhov is working for: Siberian independence.

Kulekhov was the head of the Siberian Liberation Army until officers from the FSB (the successor to the KGB) contacted him. "They asked me: 'Why are you calling yourselves an army? Are you going to take up arms?'" Assured that wasn't the case, the officers asked Kulekhov to change the organization's name. He did, and it is now the National Alternative of Siberia. (The two names share the same acronym in Russian, OAS, he points out.)

That Russian security let these would-be secessionists off with nothing more than a gentle scolding is probably a reflection of the group's modest size: Kulekhov counts about 30 members in the OAS. So, Siberia is not Chechnya.

Siberian independence is unlikely. But this region's long-term political and economic future is uncertain. Much of the oil and natural gas that has fueled Russia's booming economy over the last decade is found in eastern Siberia, and the area is also rich in timber, minerals, and other natural resources. But it doesn't have very many people. This was the last part of Russia to be settled, and the Russian history of much of eastern Siberia stretches back barely 100 years.

Contrary to Siberia's reputation, most of the cities I visited were pleasant -- Irkutsk, in particular, has gracious architecture and a bookish college-town feel. Siberians boast that they tend to be smarter and better-looking than their compatriots, because so much of Russia's elite was shipped out here when Siberia was used as a penal colony. But life here has always been difficult; it's remote and, in the winter, bitterly cold. The Soviets encouraged Russians to settle here, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, people started heading west: The population of Russia east of Irkutsk decreased from 8 million to 6 million between 1998 and 2002 (the date of the last census). What would this mass exodus mean for Russia? Perhaps Russia's greatest claim to being a great power is its immense size, and a shrinking population in its farthest reaches could call its claim on Siberia -- and by extension its authority on the world stage -- into question. I was traveling through this region, heading east from Irkutsk, to see how Russia is holding on to its Far East.

Russian Church representative in Georgia..[ 533 ]

Russian Orthodox Church representative arrives in Georgia

Georgia, Tbilisi, 29.12.2009 12:53/ Trend News, N.Kirtskhalia /

Archimandrite Roman has arrived in Georgia. His visit was arranged by the Russian Orthodox Church Holy Synod. The Georgian Patriarchate said Archimandrite is visiting Georgia with the permission of Catholicos-Patriarch of All-Georgia Ilia II.

According to the patriarchate, Georgia residents requested that a Russian-speaking parishioner be sent from the Russian patriarchy to work at the Saint John the Divine Church.

Meanwhile, the Georgian patriarchy will send Archimandrite Liparteliani Vakhtang to Russia to hold service in Georgian at a local Georgian Orthodox church.

US Α ,prodding Yemen to confront al Qaeda[ 532 ]

Official: Behind scenes, U.S. prodding Yemen to confront al Qaeda

From Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh began accepting U.S. help against al Qaeda last summer, an official says.

Washington (CNN) December 29, 2009 -- Updated 0310 GMT (1110 HKT) --

"Solid intelligence" from U.S. and Yemen services finally persuaded Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh last summer to accept increased help in fighting al Qaeda in his country, a senior U.S. official told CNN.

After years of pressure from the U.S. to crack down on al Qaeda in Yemen, Saleh was persuaded to accept help after he was presented with intelligence that al Qaeda "was targeting inner circle Yemeni leaders" and that there were a growing number of terrorist training camps in Yemen, the official said.

The official, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation in the wake of the attempted attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, detailed to CNN growing U.S. involvement in fighting al Qaeda in Yemen.

Both Gen. David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, and John Brennan, President Obama's counterterrorism adviser, visited Saleh in Yemen last summer to lay out the terrorist threat. The official said after those meetings, it was clear that Saleh was finally seeing the threat as "much more alarming" than he had previously.

Petraeus had already been laying the groundwork with the Obama administration that al Qaeda in Yemen was a growing threat, and Petraeus was setting up U.S. military assistance efforts including the use of special operations forces inside Yemen to help train Yemeni forces on counterterrorism operations, the official said.

Al Qaeda 'safe haven' in Yemen

In part, the U.S. believes Saleh turned around at that time also because of pressure from Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf nations, especially after the attempted assassination of Saudi Deputy Interior Minister Mohammed bin Naif by a suspected al Qaeda operative coming from Yemen. The U.S. also provided additional intelligence that al Qaeda was planning to strike targets in the capital city of Sanaa.

The Pentagon is spending about $66 million this year to provide Yemen with security and military assistance including training Yemeni counter-terrorist forces.

But the official and other administration sources confirmed that behind the scenes, much more is going on. U.S. military and intelligence agencies are providing not only training, but weapons and intelligence-targeting information.

This official, as well as other administration officials, have continually declined to say whether U.S. warplanes, drones or cruise missiles have been used in several recent strikes against al Qaeda targets in Yemen.

Concerns about the growing al Qaeda safe haven have been made more severe by the declining security situation in Yemen. The official noted there is a rebellion by Huti tribes in the north and secessionists in the southern tribal areas.

There also has been declining oil production, which has led to budget cuts in Yemen's security apparatus.

Other factors that have made Yemen a concern include a growing youth population, hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees and an increasing water shortage that is exacerbated by the growing production of the drug khat, which contains an amphetamine-like substance and requires more water than many other crops.

There is also a substantial arms and drug smuggling network, with intelligence indicating some arms shipments to Hamas via Sudan and then Egypt.

The official said not only are there senior al Qaeda leaders "putting down roots" in Yemen, but next door Somalia has now become home to al Qaeda in East Africa, which has ties to terrorists in Yemen, as well as to senior al Qaeda leaders across North Africa and in the Pakistani border region with Afghanistan.

Rusian N-Submarine...[ 531 ]

Russian n-submarine meant for India passes final trials

Asia Pacific News.Net
Monday 28th December, 2009 (IANS)

Rusian Nuclear Submarine

Vladivostok, Dec 28 (RIA Novosti) Russia's Nerpa nuclear attack submarine, which was damaged in a fatal accident during tests in November last year, has successfully passed final trials, a Pacific Fleet spokesman said Monday. The submarine is to be leased to India under the name INS Chakra.

On Nov 8, 2008, while the Nerpa was undergoing sea trials, its onboard fire suppression system activated, releasing a deadly gas into the sleeping quarters. Three crewmembers and 17 shipyard workers were killed. There were 208 people, 81 of them submariners, onboard the vessel at the time.

Following repairs, which cost an estimated 1.9 billion roubles ($65 million), the submarine has been cleared for final sea trials.

'A state commission has concluded that judging by the results of all trials, the Nerpa nuclear submarine is ready to enter service with the Russian Navy,' the source said.

The submarine will be officially commissioned with the Russian Navy later Monday in the town of Bolshoy Kamen in the Primorye Territory, home to the Amur shipyard Vostok repair facility which carried out the repairs.

The submarine will be subsequently leased to the Indian Navy under the name INS Chakra. India reportedly paid $650 million for a 10-year lease of the 12,000-ton K-152 Nerpa, an Akula II class nuclear-powered attack submarine.

Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of all Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines.

Μan tries to blow up plane[ 530 ]

U.S. says al Qaeda-linked man tries to blow up plane

Kevin Krolicki

DETROIT

Sat Dec 26, 2009 7:14am EST

Detroit (REUTERS) A Nigerian man believed to be linked to al Qaeda militants was in custody on Saturday after he tried to ignite an explosive device on a U.S. passenger plane as it approached Detroit, U.S. officials said.

The suspect, who suffered extensive burns, was overpowered by passengers and crew on the Christmas Day flight from Amsterdam. The passengers, two of whom suffered minor injuries, disembarked safely from the Delta Air Lines plane.

"We believe this was an attempted act of terrorism," a White House official told Reuters.

The flight had left Amsterdam on Friday and Dutch counter-terrorism authorities said they were trying to figure out where the suspect had come from, how he had been screened and how he had managed to board the flight.

Representative Peter King of New York, the senior Republican on the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, said the explosive device was "fairly sophisticated," and the suspect was a 23-year-old Nigerian.

Federal officials identified him as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, according to The New York Times and the Washington Post. ABC News and NBC News reported that he attends University College London, where he studied engineering.

Abdulmutallab tried to ignite the device or mixture as the aircraft was approaching Detroit, officials said.

King told CNN the suspect was listed in a database as having a connection to militants.

"My understanding is...that he does have al Qaeda connections, certainly extremist terrorist connections, and his name popped up pretty quickly" in a search.

King said the suspect started his journey in Nigeria.

"How sophisticated he was, I don't know," he said. "But again, it was a fairly sophisticated device. I would say we dropped the ball on this one."

Security at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has been tightened, in line with increased measures around the world for U.S.-bound flights requested by American authorities. The British government told UK airports to step up checks on flights bound for the United States.

Judith Sluiter, a spokeswoman for Dutch counter-terrorism agency NCTb, said it had started a probe into the incident, trying to determine where the suspect originated from.

"He did not go through passport control," a Dutch military police spokesman said.

The spokesman confirmed he transferred from another flight of uncertain origin.

An Air France-KLM spokeswoman said passenger lists were confidential and she could not confirm Abdulmutallab started his journey with a KLM flight to Amsterdam from Lagos.

The Nigerian government ordered security agencies to investigate the incident and said they would cooperate fully with the American authorities.

"All the necessary security measures are in place in Nigeria. Any passenger, including crew members, on any flight is subject to the same security screening," a spokesman for Nigeria's Federal Airport Authority said.

The aircraft, Northwest Airlines flight 253, was an Airbus 330 carrying 278 passengers. Delta Air Lines has taken over Northwest.

Passenger Richelle Keepman said the incident was terrifying.

"I thought -- I think we all thought we weren't going to land, we weren't going to make it," Keepman told NBC News.

Another passenger, Melinda Dennis, said the man was severely burned.

"His entire leg was burned. They required a fire extinguisher as well as water to put it out," she told NBC.

"You could smell the smoke when we landed. You could smell the scent of something being burned when we landed."

Once on the ground, the aircraft was moved to a remote area at Detroit's airport where all baggage was being rescreened, the Transportation Security Administration said.

Citing U.S. officials, the Wall Street Journal said the Nigerian had told investigators that al Qaeda operatives in Yemen had given him the device and instructions on how to detonate it.

But NBC, citing anti-terrorism officials, said he claimed to have been acting on his own."

PART OF A LARGER PLOT?

King said investigators were looking into whether the incident was part of a larger plot. There is a "world-wide alert to make sure this is not part of a larger overall scheme," he said.

The New York Times, citing a senior Homeland Security official, said the device was made from a mixture of powder and liquid and was more incendiary than explosive.

The official said Abdulmutallab told law enforcement authorities he had explosive powder taped to his leg and used a syringe filled with chemicals to mix with the powder in an attempt to cause an explosion."

The Department of Homeland Security said security measures had been stepped up.

The attempt appeared similar to one eight years ago when a British-born man, Richard Reid, tried but failed to blow up a transatlantic jumbo jet by lighting explosives stuffed into his shoes. Reid, a follower of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.

It also is the latest in a string of terrorism-related plots in the United States over the past few months. Al Qaeda militants carried out the September11, 2001, attacks in the United States in which three passenger planes were hijacked.